Lake Ellen
Iron County, Michigan140 acresView mapDirections
EGLE publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Ellen. Here is what has been measured.
- 73 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Ellen in Iron County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 139.9 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Ellen, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 73 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Michigan DNR.
Lake Ellen is a 140-acre lake in Iron County, Michigan with a maximum depth of 73 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, EGLE, last sampled 2021-08-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Ellen is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Deep water73 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Ellen is safe to swim in today is a call for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Ellen
These are the measurements EGLE publishes for Lake Ellen, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Crystal clear, you can see 17.5 ft down. TSI 36.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 17.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 36 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Lake Ellen
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
73 ft
Surface area
140 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by EGLE
Recreation & Access
- Lake Ellen CampgroundPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Ellen
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Fishing Lake Ellen
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2016–2023).
Water clarity
Improving7 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.4 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.15 µg/L/yr5 years
Nearby Lakes in Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Ellen
Where is Lake Ellen?
- Lake Ellen is a lake in Iron County, Michigan. Its water-quality measurements are published by EGLE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Ellen?
- Lake Ellen in Iron County, Michigan has water-quality measurements published by EGLE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 17.5 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 73 ft. Surface area: 139.9 acres.
Is Lake Ellen safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Ellen?
- Lake Ellen has a maximum depth of 73 feet. The lake covers 139.9 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Ellen?
- Lake Ellen has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Ellen Campground. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Ellen?
- Lake Ellen has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Michigan's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
75 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-26.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS75 samples · 2016–2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory